TLDR Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in most adolescents with alopecia areata, but more research is needed.
The study from 2017 assessed the use of tofacitinib in treating adolescents with alopecia areata (AA) and its variants. It involved 13 patients aged 12 to 17, who were observed for an average of 6.5 months. The treatment led to clinically significant hair regrowth in 9 patients, with a median improvement in SALT score of 93%. Side effects were mild, including headaches and mild liver enzyme elevations. Despite promising results, the study's retrospective design, the small number of participants, and the absence of a control group were noted as limitations. The authors recommended further prospective trials to confirm the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib for AA in adolescents.
Cited in this study
8 / 8 results
238 citations
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January 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Tofacitinib is effective and safe for severe hair loss, but full regrowth is less likely after 10 years of hair loss.
95 citations
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October 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” People with alopecia areata, a skin disease, generally have a poor quality of life, especially if more of their scalp is affected.
70 citations
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July 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology” A patient with alopecia areata regrew hair after taking tofacitinib and showed changes in certain blood and skin markers.
51 citations
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June 2016 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Tofacitinib was effective in treating hair loss in two patients with alopecia universalis.
96 citations
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April 2016 in “JAMA dermatology”
184 citations
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April 2015 in “EBioMedicine” A patient with Alopecia Areata had complete hair regrowth after using the drug baricitinib.
185 citations
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December 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” A man with severe hair loss and skin disease regrew his hair with no side effects after taking tofacitinib.
701 citations
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August 2014 in “Nature medicine” Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
4 citations
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July 2018 in “PubMed” Oral and topical tofacitinib can help regrow hair in people with severe alopecia areata.